A Day in the Life of a Diva
by All-Knowing-Oracle
Summary: PostRENT fic.When Mark decides to make a documentary on his ex,he begins to realize that not all feelings between them were forgotten...RR,flames too if you want
1. Chapter 1

**_A Day in the Life of a Diva_**

**Chapter One**

"Hi! My name is Mark Cohen, and I'll be your narrator..._and _camera man, as I take you through this dramatic journey...'A Day in the Life of a Diva'! Starring none other than our own resident diva...Maureen Johnson!"

Mark went to open the door to Maureen's apartment, hoping to burst in and catch her there...only the door was locked. He tried to open the door but it was closed.

"Aw! Maureen, come on, that was the perfect build up!"Mark moaned as he shut his camera off in disappointment. Suddenly the door opened...

"Oh."Mark stopped upon seeing Joanne...Maureen's girlfriend. She was holding a glass of orange juice in one hand, and frowning at Mark.

"Boy, what are you doing running around shouting at people's doors this early in the morning?"she asked him.

"I'm _trying_ to make a documentary...but it didn't exactly work out how I had planned," Mark admitted.

"You're still making those documentaries?"Joanne asked.

"Of course! Okay, what do you think of this one...'A Day in the Life of a Diva!', starring Maureen Johnson!"Mark tried. Joanne continued to stare at him.

"Don't you think she'd be a little offended?"she asked.

"Are you kidding? Maureen knows she's a diva, it's her claim to fame!"Mark pointed out.

"Yeah, but she can also turn around and make you feel like an idiot whenever she wants," Joanne added. Mark hesitated.

"I guess that's true..."he said.

"Hey, I've been dating the girl for months now. I think I know her,"Joanne shrugged. Mark decided not to point out the fact that he had dated the same girl for months as well, and probably knew her just as well as Joanne.

"Right...well, uh, do you have any idea where Maureen might be?"Mark asked. Joanne sighed.

"Probably the studio. I'm supposed to meet her there later. I tell you, sometimes I think that girl is more in love with her own voice than she is with me!"Joanne snorted.

"Okay, thanks!"And Mark was off down the stairs, camera in hand.

* * *

"Okay, let's try this again..."Mark muttered, starting his camera again. "Hi! My name is Mark Cohen, and I'll be your narrator, and camera man, as I take you on this dramatic journey... 'A Day in the Life of a Diva!' Starring our own resident diva-"

"Mark! Would you keep it down, I'm trying to record in here!"_Slam_ Before Mark even knew what had happened, the door to the studio was being slammed in his face. He sighed.

"There goes another perfect build up..."he grumbled. He knocked on the door. "Maureen! Come on!"he called. The door flung open to reveal a very frustrated looking Maureen. Mark immediately began filming.

"Here she is ladies and gentlemen! Maureen Johnson!"Mark introduced. Maureen scowled.

"What do you want?"she greeted, less than enthusiastically. Mark slowly put the camera down.

"I'm making a documentary,"he said.

"Really? Great!...DO IT SOMEWHERE ELSE!"Maureen shouted, about to slam the door again.

"No! Maureen, I can't! It's about _you_!"Mark called, pressing against the door to keep it open. Maureen stared at him suspiciously for a moment...then stepped away from the door so Mark came falling face first into the studio. He quickly grabbed his camera, jumping back up.

"What kind of documentary?"Maureen asked, walking away as if nothing had happened.

"It's called 'A Day in the Life of a Diva!',"Mark explained, brushing himself off and fixing his scarf. "And _you're _the diva."

"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?"Maureen snapped.

"You're supposed to take it as the truth,"Mark corrected. Maureen hesitated, looking Mark over. Finally she sighed.

"Fine. I guess I could be a part of your little documentary,"she said. Mark had had no doubt in his mind that Maureen would agree to do this for him. She could never turn down a chance to be the star of something...even one of his 'little documentaries'.

"Thanks Maureen,"Mark said, grinning.

"So what are you gonna do? Be my shadow for a day?"Maureen asked, flipping her long dark hair and fixing her headset.

"Well...a talking shadow,"Mark replied.

"Oh _great_..."Maureen sighed sarcastically. Mark grinned to himself. He could tell this was going to be an interesting experience.

And it would be interesting all right. More than he knew.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Hey Maureen...do you think I could get an interview any time soon?" Mark asked for about the 50th time. For the last hour and a half he had been sitting there listening to Maureen record her own voice, as he filmed around the studio. "I mean, not that I'm not having a great time sitting here listening to you sing the same thing 200 times, but..."

Maureen turned to Mark, a deadly glare on her face.

"Look, it's out of the kindness of my heart that I even agreed to do this stupid documentary for you! And I'm still gonna live my life, whether you're following me around or not!"she snapped.

"Right...sorry,"Mark sighed, stopping his camera and slouching against the wall. Maureen watched him for a second...then removed her headset.

"But now that you mention it...I think I've done enough for today,"she said, placing her headset down and walking over to a chair across the room. Mark leapt up, running over and sitting in the chair across from her, turning on his camera.

"Okay, Miss Johnson..."Mark began.

"Maureen to _you_,"Maureen joked.

"Fine..._Maureen_. Would you call yourself an aspiring singer?"Mark asked.

"Well, not so much a singer as an anarchist. I like to fight for my beliefs. It's what I do. But I _do _like to add some singing into my protests..."Maureen said.

"Why do you feel the need to protest things? Most people these days just go along with the standards set for us,"Mark continued.

"That's exactly WHY I need to fight! So that _someone_ is fighting! Everyone just goes along with all those tyrants nowadays, no one stands up for themselves! So _I_ stand up for them. And being a performer, I can draw them all in and get people to fight with me,"Maureen explained.

"Do you think your family has been any influence to your protesting and your performing?"

"My family? HA. Not at all."

"How about your friends?"

"They're my biggest support right now. I can't name one friend who hasn't been there for me throughout my whole journey."

"How about your relationships?"The question has escaped Mark's mouth before he had even thought it over. His documenting skills had just jumped in and asked...he blushed a little, about to offer to take that part out, when Maureen began to answer.

"Tons. As you know, I myself am a lesbian. And that's something I find myself having to fight for! I can let out all my anger at all the social injustices against homosexuals through my performing!...and I can also tell people about how I realized I was a lesbian even though I had a boyfriend-"That's when Mark finally stopped filming.

"Look Maureen, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask that..."hr began.

"What? You know I have no trouble talking about my sexual identity!"Maureen replied. Mark sighed.

"I meant...about the relationships...I mean, I wasn't talking about _us _or anything..."he assured her, turning rather red. Maureen shrugged.

"Our relationship influenced me a lot too,"she said. Mark stopped.

"...really?"he asked.

"Yeah. I mean, you were my last boyfriend before I realized I was a lesbian! The mixture of your feelings and my feelings when I realized it...it was so much drama it just HAD to be put into something constructive!"Maureen exclaimed dramatically. Mark laughed a little.

"So that's my claim to fame? I get to be the last guy you dated before you went lesbian?" he asked.

"I didn't say JUST that...we had some good times that went into music too,"Maureen admitted. There was a moment where Mark and Maureen met eyes, and a strange tingling sensation went down Mark's spine. A sensation he thought he had gotten rid of...

"Hey hun!"Mark was pulled out of his dreams by Joanne's voice.

"Pookie!"Maureen cried, jumping up and running to the door. She kissed Joanne passionately, and strangely, Mark felt his heart sinking.

"Hey Mark,"Joanne greeted casually. Mark offered a small wave.

"Mark, get a clip of me and Joanne for your movie!"Maureen cried. Mark quickly grabbed his camera, as Maureen grinned, grabbing Joanne around the neck and kissing her cheek. Joanne nearly fell backwards.

"Maureen! Get off me!"she snapped, pushing Maureen away. Maureen frowned.

"What's wrong pookie?"she asked.

"Nothing's wrong,"Joanne grumbled, brushing Maureen aside. Maureen stared at Joanne for a moment...

"Come on Mark, let's go,"she said, a hint of coldness in her voice. Mark and Joanne both turned to Maureen.

"What?"they asked simultaneously.

"Mark is making a movie about me. He needs some shots of _me _living _my _life,"Maureen replied, grabbing her leather jacket.

"I just got here!"Joanne pointed out.

"Yeah? You can stay here and work on the digital designs, we'll go work on Mark's movie,"Maureen replied.

"Maureen, you're pushing my buttons again..."Joanne started.

"Good-bye _Joanne_."Maureen scowled angrily, and she strutted out the door. There was a very tense, awkward moment as Joanne glared after Maureen, Mark sitting there uncomfortably.

"Er...I'll see you later Joanne!"And he quickly darted from the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Maureen...don't you think you should go apologize to Joanne?"Mark asked, running down the sidewalk after Maureen. She was angry, which meant she was walking at about 50 miles per hour, making it virtually impossible for any normal person to keep up with her...

"For what?"Maureen growled.

"Well, wasn't it kind of out of line for you to, you know...use 'pookie' and everything?" Mark asked.

"I was just proving my point. Now are you here to lecture me on my relationship or film your documentary?"Maureen asked.

"Right..."Mark sighed, picking up his camera and winding it up. He ran after Maureen, trying as hard as he could to keep the camera on her...

"Er, Maureen? Could you maybe slow down a little, it's kind of hard to film when you're walking so fast..."Maureen suddenly came to a direct halt, and Mark walked into her, the camera bashing him in the face.

"_Ow_..."he moaned. "Hey, why did you stop?"

"Come on. I need to show you something."

* * *

"Ta-dah!"Maureen cried. Mark looked around...

"We're...at the park,"he said, rather confused.

"This is where I met Angel!"Maureen replied.

"Oh! Er...cool!"Mark said, though still non understanding what this had to do with his documentary...

"I remember the exact day...she was there, playing that bucket of hers, back before she started dressing up...some jerks were laughing at her...so I went over to defend her, you know, that's what I do...but she stood up, and she told me 'Thanks honey. But I can take caer of them myself.' So I backed off...and she _did _take care of them, but not with words. She just...played. You know, faster and faster, swinging her arms all around, making all these weird noises...and I tell you, it got to them. They took off about two minutes later. I will never understand _how_ she did that...but it was something I'll never forget."Maureen was gazing over at a certain spot, smiling. The sun was shining down on her, making her smile look even more beautiful. Mark was so caught up in the beauty of the moment, that when his film stopped rolling he jumped a little. Maureen snapped out of her trance, turning back to Mark.

"Whenever I feel sad, or angry, I always come to this spot. It reminds me of Angel and... well, that makes me feel better,"she admitted. Mark was surprised to see the glimmer of tears in Maureen's eyes. He couldn't recall ever seeing her cry before. He put his camera down, and pulled Maureen into a hug.

"Hey...I understand. It's...it's really nice,"he whispered. Maureen pulled back, wiping her eyes.

"Sorry...about that..."she sniffed. Mark rummaged through his coat pocket, and pulled out a little tissue.

"Here, it's fine,"he said. Maureen wiped her eyes, smiling over at Mark.

"Thanks. I don't usually fall apart like that...I guess I just kind of feel more comfortable around you,"she said.

"Really? Why is that?"Mark asked. Maureen shrugged, as they began walking again.

"I don't know. There's just something about you, I guess,"she replied vaguely. Mark grinned a little to himself.

"Well, you know I'm always there for you,"he said.

"Yeah. I know. That's what I love about you, Marky!"Maureen said, returning to her old self and hugging Mark. Mark felt that odd sensation again...

"So...what else goes on in an average day in the life of Maureen?"he asked. Maureen grinned.

"Follow me and you'll find out!"

* * *

So Mark followed Maureen all around the city as she harassed tourists, climbed up onto all sorts of things she shouldn't be climbing onto, and yelled protests loudly at random times against random things like smoking and McDonald's. At the end of the day, she took him downtown to the Café for dinner.

"My treat,"she assured him.

"You've got the money?"Mark checked.

"As a matter of fact, I do,"Maureen replied. "Performing can pay off, you know."The waiter came over to them...and stopped, eyes widening.

"Ohhhh no...no! Not you people again!"he cried.

"Relax, it's just the two of us this time,"Mark assured him. The waiter frowned.

"Yeah, it's you two I worry about...stay off the table this time, okay? And keep your pants on..."he snapped.

"Sure thing,"Mark agreed. The waiter grabbed a couple of menus.

"Are you two here on a date or something?"he asked.

"Oh, no-"Mark began.

"Yeah, so we want a really good seat. You know..._private_,"Maureen interrupted, winking a little when she said 'private'.

"Whatever you say..."the waiter sighed, rolling his eyes and leading them over to a small table for two in the corner. Mark turned to Maureen as the waiter walked away.

"Why did you tell him we were on a date?"he hissed nervously.

"I wanted the better seats! Jeeze, don't you ever joke around any more, Cohen?"Maureen replied, grinning. Mark laughed. He had a very giddy feeling about him, and he wasn't quite sure why. Maybe it was the fact that he had actually had _fun_ that day, or maybe...

"Maureen?"Mark and Maureen both looked up to see none other than...

"Joanne!"Maureen cried, standing up immediately. Joanne was scowling at Maureen, shaking her head.

"That's it...this is the LAST straw!"she muttered angrily.

"Joanne! Stop! Just let me explain..."Maureen cried, jumping up and running after her.

"No! I'm tired of your 'explanations'! You promised me you would commit to this relationship, Maureen!"Joanne shouted.

"I did commit! Mark and I were just working on his movie!"Maureen cried.

"Didn't look like you were making much of movie here on a DATE with your ex!"Joanne pointed out.

"I'M A LESBIAN, FOR GOD'S SAKE!"Maureen screeched. Half the people in the restaurant were staring now. The waiter sighed, shaking his head.

"I knew this was a mistake..."he muttered.

"Maureen, all I asked from you out of this relationship was commitment. And you can't even pretend to give me that!"Joanne growled.

"Commitment is a lot to ask for, Joanne! And I _did _give it to you. I'm sorry if you can't trust me, but I've been doing my best!"Maureen replied sternly.

"If you're trying so hard then why are you here on a date with a boy who's head over heels for you?"Joanne demanded. Mark turned bright red, shrinking down in his seat, but Maureen just laughed harshly.

"_Please_! Do you realize how crazy you sound? I'm sorry if you don't like me hanging out with Mark, but he's my friend! Can't you trust me to be friends with someone that I've had a relationship with?"Maureen asked pleadingly. Joanne shook her head sadly.

"I don't know...can I?"she asked. And she turned, walking towards the door.

"Joanne! Joanne, cut this out! Don't go!"Maureen called, walking after her.

"I'm _gone _Maureen,"Joanne replied sadly. And she walked from the restaurant.

"Joanne! _Please_!"Maureen cried pathetically. But Joanne had left the restaurant, and was already halfway down the street.

"JOANNE!"Maureen screeched, bursting out the door and running after Joanne. Everyone was now gawking at poor Mark, who was standing all alone at the table.

"Thanks a lot, pal,"the waiter grumbled. Mark sighed, handing him all the money he had (about $5), then he grabbed his camera, and slowly followed the other two out of the restaurant.

* * *

**Thanks for all your reviews, I'm glad you guys like this story!(wasn't the movie AWESOME? I'm seeing it for the 2nd time tomorrow!)If I knew how to put this into a RENT section I would, but I can't figure it out for the life of me...let me know if you have anything I should fix, keep the feedback coming!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Hey, I'm back!"Roger called, walking into the loft that he and Mark shared. Mark was laying on his bed, rolling some of the film on his camera back, looking sad and pathetic. Roger frowned at the depressed look on his friend's face. "What happened to you?"

"Maureen..."Mark replied solemnly.

"What? You still pining after her?"Roger asked.

"I'm not pining!"Mark insisted, sitting up.

"Okay...then what happened?"Roger questioned.

"I was making a documentary about her...and Joanne got the idea that we were on a date, and...they had a huge fight. And it's all my fault, and now Maureen hates me!"Mark sighed sadly.

"Wow...nice going,"Roger commented sarcastically.

"I didn't _mean _to ruin everything! I was just making a movie!"Mark defended.

"Well, I wish there was some way I could help, but...I think you're stuck in this one yourself, pal,"Roger shrugged.

"Yeah, I know..."Mark grumbled. "So what are you up to tonight? Going to Mimi's?"

"Nah, I'm going out with Collins. He's been kind of lonely lately."Mark nodded. Their friend Angel, and Collins' lover, had just recently died of AIDS. So the group had been doing their best to try and make Collins feel better whenever he was feeling down, taking turns to spend time with him, visit Angel's grave with him, and just make him remember old times.

"Tell him I say hi!"Mark called as Roger headed out the door.

"Sure!"Roger called back. And he closed the door. Mark turned his attention back to his film...

* * *

About a half hour later there was a knock at the door. Mark, who had been filming his bed, testing out his camera, jumped in shock, the camera flying out of his hands...he caught it, breathing deeply. He carefully placed it back on his bed, as there was another knock.

"Coming!"he called. It was probably Mimi, coming to look for Roger. She usually showed up at odd hours of the night, after her shift at the Catscratch Club where she worked as a dancer. Mark opened the door...

"Hey, Roger's not here-"He stopped when he saw who it was.

"Well that's good, 'cause I'm not looking for Roger,"Maureen replied, grinning at Mark. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to decide what to say.

"Er...hi Maureen,"was all he could come up with.

"Hi,"Maureen replied. "I came to apologize for earlier. You know, just ditching you like that at the café."

"Oh! No, really, I should be apologizing. I didn't mean for this to get in the way of you and Joanne, I feel terrible."Mark decided not to ask if she and Joanne had broken up...he figured he already knew the answer anyhow. There was an awkward sort of pause.

"Um...you wanna come in?"Mark invited. Maureen shrugged.

"Sure,"she said. So she walked into the loft. "Huh...haven't done much decorating since I was last in here."

"We've kept it from becoming a total pig stye. I think that's enough of an accomplishment,"Mark replied.

"Yeah. So where's Roger anyhow?"Maureen asked, casually flopping onto the couch as if it were her own bedroom.

"He's out with Collins tonight,"Mark replied, continuing to stand awkwardly at the door.

"Oh...how's he been dealing lately?"Maureen asked, pulling off her jacket and tossing it on the floor.

"Better, I guess. It's tough, you know. But he's moving on with life,"Mark explained.

"I guess that's all we really can do,"Maureen sighed.

"Can I get you a drink or anything?"Mark offered.

"You got any beer?"Maureen asked hopefully. "Joanne threw out ALL my alcohol the other day..."

"I think Roger had some out back. I'll check."As Mark left the room, Maureen began to stride around curiously. She picked up Roger's guitar, playing with the strings a bit. Then, deciding that probably wasn't a safe idea, she moved on to Mark's bed. There was his camera, and all sorts of pictures he had taken, scattered on the floor. There were lots of odd pictures of Roger, probably taken while Mark was goofing around. There were some of Mark and Roger together, some of Collins and Roger, Collins and Angel...a few more of Angel, posing and laughing...one of Mimi and Roger hugging...a folded, bent picture of Roger, Mark and Benny together, obviously taken in earlier times...Maureen wandered over to a nearby desk, as she spotted more pictures...

There on top was a picture of her and Mark from when they were dating.

Maureen picked it up...and noticed another picture of her and Mark underneath. As she flipped through the pictures, she realized they were ALL pictures taken during their relationship...her and Mark hugging, her and Mark kissing, a few head shots Mark had taken for her, a picture of her posing, a picture of her and Mark running down the sidewalk together, a picture of her on Mark's back. '_Wow_' she thought to herself as she flipped through the photos '_I really looked good back then!_' She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something in all of these pictures that made her look exceptionally beautiful. '_Maybe I shouldn't have straightened my hair so much..._'she thought, examining the picture of her and Mark running...

"I found some Bud Light in the back!"Maureen quickly tossed all the photos back into Mark's drawer, quickly running back over to the couch. Mark frowned as she came running over.

"Where were you?"he asked.

"Oh, just snooping a little,"she answered. Mark stopped.

"Snooping where?"he asked.

"Around your bed...I saw some of your pictures,"she said. "Of Angel."She quickly added. Mark seemed to relax a little.

"Oh yeah...I've been trying to decide what to do with them. I mean, should I hold on to them, or should I give them to Collins?"

"Why don't you make a scrap book?"Maureen suggested. Mark laughed.

"I take the pictures, I don't organize them,"he said. "I'm terrible at scrap-booking."

"I'll help you! It can be our little project for Collins. You know, to cheer him up!" Maureen said, suddenly rather excited. Mark shrugged.

"Sounds nice,"he said. "But, er...will Joanne mind that we're spending so much time together? I mean, she kind of flipped out just because we were having dinner together..."

"Joanne and I...aren't exactly together any more,"Maureen admitted. "So we can do whatever we want!"

"Okay..."Mark said, deciding not to discuss that matter any further.

"Come on, let's go look for some good pictures of Angel!"Maureen said, grabbing Mark's hand and pulling him over to the bed. Mark grinned, following her, the tingling sensation in his stomach again...

* * *

**Thanks for keeping the reviews coming guys! I'm glad so many of you are enjoying this story, and that there are so many other Mark/Maureen fans out there! Haha I'm SO sorry if you have to wait until January 5th to see the movie! Anyone who has to wait has my sympathy!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Roger and Collins returned to the loft at about 1:00 in the morning, expecting to find Mark fast asleep beside him camera. But instead, they came home to find their roommate fast asleep beside quite a few beer bottles...and Maureen Johnson. They both stopped in their tracks, exchanging glances. Collins was obviously trying hard not to laugh, and Roger was out and out confused. He went over and tapped Mark on the shoulder, Collins tip-toeing behind, stifling his laughter.

"Hey! Buddy! Wake up!"Roger hissed.

"_Wha_...?"Mark muttered, rubbing his eyes as he woke up. He sat up, fixing his glasses... then jumped up when he realized where he was. "Whoa! I...she...we..."he stuttered frantically. He quickly turned to Maureen, tapping her.

"Maureen! Maureen! Wake up!"he hissed. Maureen turned over, grunting a little. Mark sighed, continuing to poke at her. "Maureen, come on! Get up!"He shook her arm a little...and she swung her fist up, socking Mark right in the nose.

"_OW_!"Mark hollered, falling backwards. Roger and Collins both broke down with laugher. Maureen sat up immediately, rubbing her eyes and looking around. She saw Roger and Collins laughing hysterically across the loft.

"What the hell...?"The she spotted Mark lying beside her, cringing and holding his nose, which was now bleeding. She gasped.

"Oh my God! Mark! What happened?"

* * *

Ten minutes later, Mark sat on the couch, leaning his head back and holding tissues to his nose. Roger was sitting in a chair across from him, holding his guitar and strumming quietly, and Maureen and Collins sat on either side of him.

"How do you feel?"Maureen asked.

"I think the bleeding's slowed down a little,"Mark said. "You know, you hit pretty hard for someone who's half asleep..."

"I'm so sorry Marky! It's just a reflex, I guess. Y'know, a defensive thing. I don't like being touched in my sleep,"Maureen explained.

"Apparently not,"Collins commented. "What were you two so busy with that you passed out together anyways?"Mark and Maureen both stopped. They didn't want to tell Collins about the scrapbook.

"Er...just a little...plan,"Mark invented.

"What kind of plan?"Roger asked curiously.

"A plan...for Joanne!"Maureen said quickly. "Yeah. Uh huh. Mark's helping me get her back."

"I am?"Mark asked without thinking. Maureen stamped on his foot, but Collins didn't seem to notice.

"You and Joanne broke up again?"he asked.

"You make it sound like this happens all the time!"Maureen cried.

"Well...it _does_,"Roger pointed out. Maureen scowled at him.

"Was I talking to you?"she snapped. Roger merely sighed, strumming on his guitar again.

"So you're helping her win back her woman, huh Mark?"Collins asked, grinning rather teasingly. Mark frowned, still holding a mass of tissues to his nose.

"Yes I am! Because that's what _friends_ do. They help other _friends_, and do _friendly_ things for them!"he declared, leaning towards Collins. Maureen suddenly grabbed his head, yanking him back.

"Keep your head back!"she ordered. Mark sighed, leaning backwards again obediently.

"Wow. I guess sometimes friends can be real suckers for each other too,"Roger commented, as he and Collins exchanged grins. Mark frowned, as Maureen ignored them. She looked at her watch.

"Oh, it's pretty late. I'm gonna go try and get some sleep in my own bed! I'll talk to you tomorrow, Marky!" Maureen said, getting up and walking to the door.

"Bye Maureen!"Mark called through the tissues, waving with his free hand. Maureen giggled a little and strutted out the door. Roger and Collins immediately turned to Mark.

"_What _is going on? Last time I checked, Maureen _hated_ you!"Roger pointed out.

"I know, it's just...she came over and we...we talked, and we...and...it's not what it looks like!"Mark insisted.

"This is TOO funny!"Collins snickered.

"I see _you're_ feeling better..."Mark said, frowning at the now hysterical Collins.

"I am now!"he laughed.

"Mark..._what's going on_?"Roger asked, still confused.

"Maureen came over to apologize. She and Joanne just broke up, so she was upset, and we just had a few beers, and we were uh...working on our _plan_...and then we must have fallen asleep while we were working," Mark explained. Roger and Collins were both looking at Mark, grinning.

"Did you guys...?"Roger made a motion with his hands.

"_No_!"Mark shrieked.

"Okay! Relax! I was just making sure!"Roger said defensively.

"So you're really helping her win back Joanne, huh?"Collins asked.

"Yeah. What's so bad about that?"Mark asked.

"Well...I just thought it might be kind of difficult considering, you know...the _situation_," Collins continued.

"I am _not _still in love with Maureen!"Mark insisted.

"Then why do you do everything she says?"Roger asked.

"And come running whenever she calls?"Collins added.

"And take her in no matter what she's done to you?"Roger continued.

"And listen to her whenever she comes crying to your door?"

"And go along with all her crazy ideas?"

"And-"

"I do _not_ do all of those things!"Mark cried. Suddenly the door burst open again, and Maureen came walking in.

"Hey Mark, I just remembered, I'm protesting plastic bags in super markets tomorrow, and since I fired Joanne, I have no production manager. Will you do it for me just this once?"She pouted her lips, looking sad and innocent. "Please _pookie_?"

"Sure Maureen,"Mark said, nearly melting. Maureen smiled.

"Super!"She walked over to Mark...and pulled his head back again. "Now head back, you need to be healthy by tomorrow at 7:30, okay? I want you at the studio by then at the latest!"And Maureen walked back out the door happily. Collins and Roger were both looking at Mark, shaking their heads.

"...that was just once! She really needed me!"And the two burst out laughing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Hello? Maureen?"Mark called as he wandered into the studio. There was no sign of her around...or _anyone _for that matter. Mark frowned.

"Maureen! It's Mark!"he continued to call, looking all around. Still, nothing. He sighed. He didn't know what she was trying to pull...**_BAM!_** All the lights suddenly went out. Mark jumped, stopping himself from letting out a shriek. Giant flashing letters suddenly appeared on the wall across from him: DOWN WITH PLASTIC! Mark laughed, as Christmas lights all over the place began lighting up slowly.

"Very nice Maureen!"he commented. Suddenly he felt hands grab him from behind. He whirled around, and came face to face with a smiling Maureen.

"Hey Marky! How's your nose?"she asked, walking over to the switch for the lights.

"Better,"Mark assured her, pulling out his camera to get some footage of the crazy display. Maureen switched on the lights.

"I didn't think you'd actually show up this early,"Maureen commented. Mark frowned, slowly moving the camera around the studio.

"Why?"he asked. Maureen shrugged, walking back over to him.

"Well, Joanne always showed up at least an hour later than what I told her. She said I started things too early, and so she refused to come at the exact time I told her. She was insane," she explained, smiling sadly. Mark put down his camera, turning to her.

"You miss her, huh?"he asked. Maureen shrugged, shaking her head.

"Hardly. I have much more fun with you!"she replied, laughing a little. Mark stared at her.

"Really?"he asked, not quite sure if she was kidding or not.

"Yeah, really! Like I said before, I feel more comfortable around you. When I was with Joanne I was _always_ trying to be something I'm not. It's nice to finally just be able to relax and be ME for once, without someone constantly criticizing me."Maureen stopped suddenly, looking surprised with herself that she had let all of that out. Mark found himself smiling slightly...

"Uh, so...I'll be up working on some of the lighting stuff. If you could start on sound that would be great!"Maureen said quickly, turning and walking over to the ladder in the middle of the room. Mark's smile widened.

"Okay. Sure Maureen..."

* * *

A couple of hours later, Maureen came walking over to Mark, who was working intently on the sound equipment.

"Hey, come on,"she said suddenly. Mark didn't even look up as he replied.

"Huh?"

"I wanna go somewhere!"Maureen said excitedly. Mark, who had been kneeling, head stuck in a box of wires, stood up, brushing himself off. That's when he noticed Maureen's outfit for the first time...

She had changed into a very tight leather skirt, and an even tighter(if that was possible)cheetah print tank top. She had tall black boots on and her wavy dark hair was down around her shoulders. Mark froze, jaw dropping as he stared at her.

"...wow!"was all he could get out. Maureen smiled.

"You like it?"she asked.

"Yeah!"Mark blurted out, before thinking. He blushed a little as she laughed. "Er, I mean...what's the occasion?"

"We're going out somewhere!"Maureen announced happily.

"I didn't finish yet..."Mark began, motioning to the pile of wires beside him.

"Who cares? We can finish later! Let's go out now!"Maureen persisted.

"Where did you want to go?"Mark asked, picking up his backpack and pushing aside some of the cords and wires.

"Let's work on your movie more!"Maureen said.

"Okay...where will you be taking me today then?"Mark asked, laughing a little as he pulled out his camera. Maureen grinned.

"Let's find out!"

* * *

Maureen took Mark back to the park again, where she danced around the fountain and the benches, played fetch with a couple of dogs, bought an ice cream for herself and proceeded to drop it all over the sidewalk. Then she took the camera and filmed Mark, against his protests. She filmed him interviewing some older people around the city, giving some tourists directions, talking to some street performers. They spent the whole day goofing off with each other, then returned to the loft to work more on the scrapbook.

They were working, when suddenly the door opened and Roger came in.

"Oh. Hey,"he greeted awkwardly.

"Hey Roger,"Mark replied, in a tone that hinted that nothing was going on. Maureen finished the page of pictures she had been working on.

"Ha! Okay, well it's getting late, I should probably be heading over to the studio now," she said, standing up.

"Oh yeah, I should probably head back over to finish wiring the sound systems, huh?" Mark said.

"Sure. Thank you so much for helping me out today Mark, on such short notice and everything! I owe you one!"She kissed his cheek and ran to the door. "Meet you over at the studio!"Roger watched the expression on his roommate's face as Maureen skipped out the door.

"Did you guys spend the whole day together?"he asked, sitting down next to Mark on the couch.

"Yeah, it was great! We worked on my movie some more, and we went all over the town. Man, she just has so much _energy_! And she says she thinks _I'm_ fun,"Mark said, laughing a little.

"I guess you guys have really been hitting it off lately, huh?"Roger commented.

"We've just been hanging out more lately. It never really occurred to me, but we haven't really hung out, just the two of us, since-"

"Since you were dating,"Roger finished.

"Yeah,"Mark said, nodding. Roger shook his head.

"Mark..."He stopped, then sighed, as if about to say something, but deciding against it. "Just be careful, okay?" Mark frowned.

"Careful of what?"he asked. Roger just grinned.

"I just don't want to see my best friend get his heart broken again,"Roger assured him. Mark smiled.

"Don't worry about me, Roger. I'm fine,"he replied. Roger nodded.

"Okay. But if she gets back with Joanne...don't be too upset. Technically she's still a lesbian, you know!"Roger joked. Mark grinned.

"Yeah, I know, thanks!"And Roger and Mark both laughed together.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Maureen was walking down the street to the studio, she ran into a very unexpected someone.

"Whoa!"

"Oh, sorry-"Maureen and Joanne both looked up, coming face to face with each other. They both froze, unsure of what to say.

"Oh. Hi,"Maureen greeted coldly.

"Hello,"Joanne replied, just as cold. "What are you doing out this late?"

"I'm on my way to my newest protest,"Maureen replied. Joanne just shook her head.

"Are you ever going to give up? Or are you just going to keep trying to protest and fight against _everything _you can think of?"she asked mockingly.

"I'm going to fight for what I believe in. Unlike some people,"Maureen replied with a scowl.

"Maureen, I fought for your heart harder than you'll ever know! You just refused to give it to me!"Joanne snapped.

"I gave you _my _heart, Joanne. You just kept trying to change it!"Maureen replied.

"Oh really? And I suppose _Mark _is more accepting then, huh?"Joanne snapped.

"As a matter of fact, he is! He takes me for who I am. He doesn't have to change me to be able to like me!" Maureen shouted. Joanne stopped, about to fight back...but she shook her head.

"Fine. Mark can _have _you then,"she grumbled.

"You see! This is _exactly _what I mean! You don't fight for me Joanne! You'll never have what you want if you can't fight for it!"Maureen called as Joanne turned, walking away.

"I'm tired of fighting, Maureen,"Joanne replied. And she walked off. Maureen watched her go...but strangely enough, she didn't feel sad this time. And she found a surprising thought crossing her mind:

Mark would fight for her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

That night, everyone who went agreed that Maureen's protest had to have been her best since she protested Cyberland. And it wasn't that her arguments against plastic bags were amazing either. The protest was hardly about plastic bags at all. The only thing that even reminded people that that's what they were there for were the giant letters reading 'DOWN WITH PLASTIC' glowing behind Maureen as she jumped around and screamed about fighting for what, and who, you believe in. And no one seemed to really care whether she was talking about bags or her ex-girlfriend. She was inspiring, and that's all they recognized.

Especially inspiring to a young friend of Maureen's, by the name of Mimi Marquez.

"Maureen!"she greeted excitedly, running up to Maureen after the protest, throwing her arms around her. "That was incredible! Where did you get all that energy from?"

"I have no idea!"Maureen giggled, hugging back. "You never told me you were coming tonight."

"Of course! I come to all your protests, no matter what it is you're screamin' about,"Mimi replied.

"Aw, thanks! So what's been going on with you lately? I hardly hear from you any more now that you're back at school,"Maureen said.

"I know! It's a lot of work, especially stepping in at Junior year and everything. But I am passing all my classes, and I haven't picked up a needle in seven months!"Mimi declared proudly, referring to her former use of drugs. Maureen hugged her friend again.

"Aw, honey I'm so proud of you! I always knew there was a great mind under there!"she said, patting Mimi's head. Mimi grinned happily.

"Thanks. It's like my life has suddenly just...flip-flopped! Suddenly I'm back at school, I'm feeling healthier, I'm feeling happier...it's amazing!"Mimi remarked.

"I'm _so_ happy for you, babe!"Maureen assured her, grinning.

"So how have things been with you and Joanne?"Mimi asked. Maureen sighed, rolling her eyes.

"There _is_ no 'me and Joanne' any more, actually,"she admitted.

"Oh, I'm sorry!"Mimi said, patting Maureen's shoulder.

"Don't be, I'm hardly upset about it,"Maureen assured her. Mimi frowned.

"Really?"she asked.

"Yeah! C'mon, let's go out to dinner. We have some catching up to do!"

So Maureen and Mimi went down to the Life Café(luckily, their 'favorite' waiter wasn't there that evening)and had dinner together, which they could just barely pay for. They talked the entire time, hardly touching their food anyhow.

"...and it's just been so much fun lately, I guess that's why my protest was so energetic tonight. I've actually been enjoying myself lately!"Maureen finished telling Mimi all about the past week.

"Well, I can certainly see why you don't miss Joanne now,"Mimi commented. Maureen frowned.

"What do you mean?"she asked, taking a sip of her root beer.

"You're back with Mark!"Mimi said. Maureen snorted, root beer spraying out her nose.

"_Are you serious_! _Me _back with _Mark_! What made you think that!"she cried. Mimi laughed, grabbing a napkin for Maureen, who was now covered in snotty root beer.

"Well, you've talked about him non-stop this entire time. And it seems like you guys have been hanging out a lot lately..."Mimi explained.

"That's all! And I have _not _talked about him non-stop," Maureen insisted, wiping her shirt.

"Uh, yeah you have! Every story so far has started with 'When me and Mark' so far," Mimi pointed out.

"That's not true!"Maureen protested.

"Well, every story that _hasn't _has somehow lead back to Mark in the end. I mean, from what I got, you guys are closer than ever!"Mimi explained. Maureen stared at her.

"Well yeah, we're _closer_...but we're not back together! We're just friends, who happen to be hanging out more lately. I swear!"Maureen said. Mimi smiled.

"Whatever you say, Maureen..."she muttered. The girls laughed off the matter at that moment...though later, as she lay alone in bed, Maureen was left to ponder the thought that Mimi had put into her mind.

And whether or not Mimi _had_ put it in her head.

* * *

**Hey guys, sorry it took so long to update! I had three performance of _The Sound of Music_ at my school this weekend, aditions for Jr. District's, and then today was my birthday! Plus I've been sick lately...ugh...but thanks for not giving up! I'll try to update sooner after this one!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

So that night, after Maureen and Mimi finished their dinner, Maureen went running over to the loft. She made her way up the long staircase(she had never really noticed quite how long it was before...)and finally reached the door. She pounded on it excitedly. She couldn't wait to see Mark, but she wasn't quite sure WHY...

"Hello?"Roger opened the door. Maureen stopped when she saw him.

"Whoa. You died your hair?"she asked in shock. Roger's hair was indeed a neon green color. He nodded.

"You like it?"he asked.

"Yeah, sure, if you're an Oompa-Loompa,"Maureen replied, snorting. Roger sighed.

"You just don't understand..."he said sadly. Maureen decided to shrug it off.

"Is Mark here?"she asked.

"Yeah,"Roger said. There was a pause...

"Can I see him?"Maureen asked.

"I suppose,"Roger said, stepping aside. Maureen walked into the loft. Mark was sitting on the couch, playing Roger's guitar.

"Hey Marky!"Maureen greeted, jumping over to the couch. Mark looked up, smiling.

"Hey Maureen! What's up?"he asked.

"Oh, nothing. I never knew you could play guitar,"Maureen commented.

"Oh yeah, Collins has been teaching me,"Mark replied, putting the guitar down.

"...I didn't know Collins played guitar either..."Maureen muttered.

"So what brings you here so late?"Mark asked.

"Well, I was talking to Mimi earlier, and she...made me realize some things,"Maureen explained.

"Really? What kind of things?"Mark asked.

"That...that I think I still love you!"Maureen blurted out. To her happiness, Mark's face lit up.

"Really? I love you too Maureen! I have since I first met you!"he cried.

"No way!"Maureen screeched, as green-haired Roger started jumping on Mark's bed. Mark suddenly got down on one knee, completely ignoring his roommate.

"Maureen...will you marry me?"he asked, pulling a huge diamond ring out of his pocket. Maureen's jaw dropped.

"Isn't it kind of soon?"she asked.

"It could never be too soon!"Mark exclaimed. Maureen screamed, taking the ring and jumping into Mark's arms.

"Congratulations!"They both turned to see a cow standing at the door."The weather today will sunny but cold, with a good chance of some flurries this evening..."

That's when Maureen woke up.

She sat up quickly, very weirded out by that entire dream. She yawned as she slammed her hand down on the button on her clock to shut the weather man up. 9:15. She had slept later than usual. That protest must have really worn her out...

She got up, got dressed and made breakfast, but the whole time, she could not get that dream out of her head. And it wasn't the green-haired Roger that was bothering her so much...

In that dream she had told Mark she _loved_ him. And even further, he had said he loved her. The engagement was probably just part of the weirdness of the dream, but she had a bad feeling that the confession of her love wasn't.

She didn't love Mark. Not like _that_. She couldn't. That would be too weird. But then again, how could she have gotten over Joanne so quickly if she wasn't feeling something for someone else?

NO, she kept telling herself. It was impossible. She was a lesbian!...or she HAD been a lesbian...

NO. She was scaring herself with all of these thoughts. It couldn't be true! She absolutely positively was NOT falling in love with Mark Cohen again.

_Ring-ring. Ring-ring. Ring-ring._

"_Uh, hey Maureen, it's Mark..._"

Maureen's heart skipped a beat and the glass of juice she was holding slipped out of her hand and splashed to the ground.

Maybe she wasn't as sure as she thought...

* * *

"...okay, talk to you later. Bye."Mark finished his message and hung up the phone.

"And that would be the...what? _Sixth_ time you've called her this morning? Or is it seven now?"Roger asked.

"Fifth!"Mark snapped.

"Oh, _excuse _me,"Roger snorted. Mark frowned, siting down next to Roger on the couch. There was a pause...

"I'm not in love with her!"Mark suddenly cried.

"I didn't say anything!"Roger said defensively.

"Oh come on! You've been picking on me non-stop this whole time!"Mark whined. Roger laughed.

"Look, I'm sorry, I'll cut it out. I just think it's funny!"he explained.

"What's so funny about two old friends hanging out together?"Mark demanded. Roger looked at Mark.

"You're not just 'two old friends', Mark,"he pointed out. Mark opened and closed his mouth several times, and finally decided just not to try and respond. He sighed.

"Roger...do you really think I'm falling in love with Maureen again?"he asked.

"No. I think you've _been_ in love with Maureen, and you're finally just getting your second chance!"Roger replied. Mark nodded, thinking that over...

"Isn't that..._weird _though? I mean, she's a lesbian! I _know _there's no chance that she likes me, but...I can't help it,"he said. Roger shrugged.

"That's love,"he said simply. "Speaking of which, I'm taking Mimi out today to celebrate her first term exams. She passed!"Roger explained as he got up to go get his coat. Mark grinned.

"That's great, send her my congratulations,"he said.

"I will. So what are you gonna do today? You know, besides pine around for Maureen?"Roger asked.

"_Good-bye Roger_..."Mark grumbled. Roger just laughed.

"See you later!"

Mark sat there, thinking over HIS situation.

He couldn't be in love with Maureen. It wasn't reasonable. It wasn't _rational_! He was crazy to even dream about anything between them.

And yet...

NO. He wouldn't let himself think of it. It would never happen. He would just have to make himself stop feeling for Maureen. It couldn't be so hard, he could do it. She was pretty annoying anyways, there were lots of flaws that he was sure could easily turn him away from Maureen Johnson...

_Ring-ring. Ring-ring. Ring-ring._

"_Oh, hey Marky! It's Maureen_-"

Mark jumped at the sound of Maureen's voice...slipping on the small rug nearly the couch and falling off, bashing his head into the table.

"_...I'll be over to see you in a bit! Love ya, pookie!_"

All Mark could hear was Maureen's voice as he slowly faded into darkness...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Joanne Jefferson walked up to the door of the loft. She took a deep breath, ready to officially hand over her job as Maureen's production manager to Mark. She had decided she wanted to do things personally, so that she could still keep any business relationships with Mark, and not just communicate with him through Maureen. When it all came down to it, she really did like Mark. She was always just constantly pitted against him in the battle for Maureen. But this time, she was going to take things into her own hands. She was going to be friends with Mark, whether Maureen liked it or not!

She knocked on the door in her firm, lawyer-like way...and strangely enough it opened on its own. She frowned. She hadn't knocked _that_ hard...

"Uh, hello? Sorry to just barge in like this, but the door opened when I-"That's when she heard a groan from the floor. She walked into the loft, looking around...and gasped.

"Oh my God! Mark!"Mark was laying on the floor, a huge, swollen bump on his head. He was unconscious, though he appeared to be just waking up.

"_Uhhhh_..."he groaned. Joanne kneeled down next to him.

"Mark? Mark can you hear me? Don't move your head!"she instructed. She looked around for a pillow, or something to put under his head...

"Hey, why's the door open?"Joanne jumped up as Maureen came walking into the loft, confused. The two women stopped, staring at each other in shock.

"Um, hi,"Joanne greeted awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?"Maureen asked.

"I came to talk to Mark, and I found him unconscious,"Joanne explained quickly. Maureen gasped.

"Oh my gosh!"She ran over quickly. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know, he was like this when I came in. It looks like he has a small concussion, probably bashed his head on something,"Joanne said, examining the bump on Mark's forehead.

"What should we do?"Maureen asked.

"We need to rest his head on something, and get some ice,"Joanne said. Maureen nodded and quickly ran over to Mark's bed, grabbing a pillow. She kneeled down next to Mark. He groaned again, trying to move his head. Joanne went to the kitchen to grab some ice, but she kept her eyes on Maureen the whole time. She could just picture Maureen grabbing Mark's head and flinging it all around, hurting him even more, bashing him on the floor...

But to her amazement, she watched Maureen softly hush the moaning Mark.

"Shh! It's okay Marky, me and Joanne are gonna take care of you!"she whispered. She very gently lifted his head and placed it on the pillow. He groaned again.

"_My head_..."he muttered. Maureen took his hand, stroking his forehead lightly.

"I know. It will be okay..."she assured him softly.

Joanne was completely mesmerized by this soft, sweet and gentle side of Maureen that she had never before seen. The Maureen she had always known had been rough and vulgar and hard. She couldn't help but feel a little pain that Maureen had never been able to show such compassion and caring towards her the way she could towards Mark...

"Joanne, did you get the ice?"Maureen asked suddenly, snapping Joanne out of her dreaming.

"Oh...yeah,"Joanne said, nodding. Maureen grinned, and turned back to Mark. Joanne watched for one more second...then went to get some ice.

* * *

"Okay, the ice should bring down the swelling. He'll probably fall in and out of consciousness for a bit, but then once he's up he'll be all right, except for a major headache,"Joanne explained, pacing back and forth around the loft. Maureen finally looked up at Joanne.

"Great,"she said. Joanne nodded, standing uncomfortably near the counter. Maureen stood up. "Um...thanks." Joanne frowned.

"For what?"she asked.

"For helping me take care of Mark. I mean, I know things between you guys, and between _us_, haven't been too great lately..."Maureen began.

"Actually, that's why I was coming over here. I wanted to talk to Mark about us still being friends. I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable coming to me if he ever needed my help as a lawyer or anything again,"Joanne explained.

"Oh. That's great! I mean, I...I never wanted things to get messed up between you guys. I don't want to be a barrier between you or anything..."Maureen said. Joanne nodded.

"That's good,"she replied. There was an awkward silence, broken when Mark let out another loud groan. Maureen ran to his side again.

"Mark, what's wrong?"she asked.

"_Cold_..."Mark mumbled. Maureen took the ice pack off his head for a second.

"I know it's cold, but you have to keep it on...we won't let you get hurt though. It's okay,"she hushed softly. Mark groaned a little as Maureen placed the ice back on his forehead.

"_Maureen_..."he barely whispered.

"I'm here Mark. It's okay,"she assured him, taking his hand again, and kissing it. "I'll _always _be here for you."Strangely, Joanne found herself almost brought to tears by this small sign of affection. She turned a little, taking a deep breath. She turned back to see Maureen stroking Mark's hair, gazing at him with true admiration and, as much as Joanne hated to admit it, love.

"_Don't leave_..."Mark groaned.

"I won't, Mark. I promise,"Maureen replied. And Mark passed out again. Maureen didn't let go of his hand, watching him carefully. Joanne walked over to the couch, sitting down.

"Do you think he'll be okay, Joanne?"Maureen asked nervously.

"He'll be fine. Concussions usually aren't too bad as long as they're taken care of," Joanne explained.

"They don't lead to anything bigger do they? Like internal bleeding or anything?" Maureen asked frantically.

"Not in this case, I don't think so,"Joanne reassured her. Maureen sighed.

"I'm sorry if I'm being a pain, I just...I don't know what I'd do if something happened to Mark,"she said, gazing at Mark sadly. Joanne could barely stand the pained feeling in her heart.

"You really love him, don't you?"she asked suddenly. Maureen turned back to Joanne immediately.

"I...I just don't want him to be hurt-"she began. Joanne sighed.

"I didn't mean it as an accusation. But it's true...you really love him?"she asked. Maureen paused.

"I don't know. I really don't know,"she admitted. Joanne leaned closer.

"Well _I _do. You love this boy, Maureen. I see it every time you look at him. The way you take care of him, the way you treat him...you're in love with him,"she declared.

"How can you tell?"Maureen asked.

"Because all these things you're doing for him right now...I could see myself doing for you,"Joanne replied. Maureen's jaw dropped, as she looked sadly at Joanne.

"Oh Joanne, I'm sorry-"Joanne shook her head.

"Don't be. You can't control who you fall in love with. Some of us just get luckier than others,"she replied.

"I wish things could be different. I wish they could go back to the way they were before, I really do-"

"No Maureen. It's time to move on now. Tell Mark how you feel. Don't worry about me. I'm a lawyer, I can take care of myself!"Joanne joked. Maureen grinned.

"So, we can be friends still then?"she asked.

"Looks like it,"Joanne agreed, nodding.

"Good. 'Cause I missed you pookie!"Maureen cried, hugging Joanne.

"And I missed you, honey-bear. But we should probably lay off those kinds of names considering..."Joanne motioned to Mark, laying on the floor. Maureen shrugged.

"You'll always be my _pookie_!"she cried. Joanne just laughed. And this time, she found herself smiling. Because the person she loved was happy. And that made her happy as well.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Mark opened his eyes about two hours later. Everything was blurry, and there was a throbbing pain in his head...

"Hey! He's alive!"he heard Collins' voice shout. There was the sound of footsteps running across the loft. His focus was coming back, and someone handed him his glasses. He put them on, and could clearly see his friends all surrounding him: Roger, Collins, Mimi, Joanne and Maureen, all smiling at him.

"How are you feeling, Marky?"Maureen, who was kneeling beside the couch where Mark was laying, asked.

"Awful..."Mark muttered, reaching to feel his forehead. "What _happened_?"

"You must have slipped and bashed your head on the table or something,"Roger explained.

"Yeah, me and Joanne found you laying here with a concussion!"Maureen recalled, as if it were an exciting story.

"A concussion? Oh great..."Mark groaned.

"You'll be okay though,"Collins assured him.

"We were getting worried about you, when you didn't wake up,"Mimi said.

"How long was I out?"Mark asked.

"Four hours, at least,"Joanne replied.

"Jeeze...I really must have hit myself hard!"Mark said.

"Looks like it. You've practically got a baseball on your head there,"Roger commented, motioning to Mark's forehead. Mark groaned as he felt the huge bump that had formed.

"_Perfect_..."he grumbled.

"We put some ice on your head to bring the swelling down...but I guess it didn't work," Maureen admitted.

"Who did? All of you?"Mark asked.

"Me and Joanne. We took care of you until Roger and Mimi came back, and then Collins' came over later,"Maureen explained, grinning over at Joanne.

"Wait, so are you guys...?"Mark asked, looking at Maureen and Joanne. They both turned back to Mark.

"Friends again? Yeah, we are,"Joanne finished.

"You're not back together?"Mark asked.

"No..."There was a long pause.

"Um...Mimi! Collins! Look at the moon!"Roger cried suddenly, grabbing his friend's arms and pulling them out onto the fire escape, to get them out of the room.

"But I wanna see Maureen tell Mark-"

"_Mimi_!"

"Well, I've gotta get home too. There's a case I'm gonna drop, and I have to let my client know,"Joanne said, heading for the door. Maureen stood up.

"Why are you letting it go? You don't want to fight it?"she asked. Joanne turned back, looking Maureen straight in the eyes.

"It's not that I don't want to fight it. There are some cases you just know you can't fight, because you couldn't win, no matter how much you might try. This is one of those cases,"she said. Maureen nodded, and Mark got the impression that their discussion was not really about one of Joanne's cases...

"Good luck you two,"Joanne said. And she gave them a wave, walking out the door.

"Good luck?"Mark repeated curiously. "I wonder what she meant by that."Maureen hesitated.

"Um, Mark...there's something I need to talk to you about,"she finally said. Mark looked at her.

"Yeah?"he asked. Maureen took a deep breath.

"When you were hurt, I was scared for you. _Really_ scared. I couldn't pull myself away from you, I felt this...this _need _to take care of you. And then, you're gonna hate me for this, but that time I was over here, I saw some of your old pictures from when we were dating. And I looked _really_ good! And at first I thought it was my hair, or my clothes, or my makeup...but you know what it really was? I was truly _happy_ in those pictures. Something I never was when I was with Joanne! You make me happy, Mark. Whenever I'm with you, whenever we hang out. I can be myself, I feel comfortable and safe. You never expect any more from me, you accept me, you appreciate me! Mark Cohen...I love you."Mark was gaping at Maureen in utter shock.

"...I must still be in a concussion,"he said.

"Look, it's okay if you don't feel the same. I just thought you should know that I'm in love with you. It's always helpful to know those kinds of things,"Maureen said jokingly. She squeezed his hand for a second, smiling, then let go. But as she was standing up, she felt Mark grab her hand.

"You're right. It is always helpful to know those things,"he said. "I love you too, Maureen. I mean, I _have_ loved you. Since I first met you. Since we broke up...I never stopped loving you. I just never knew how to tell you."Maureen kneeled down again, smiling wider than ever.

"I guess I never stopped loving you either,"she said, laughing a little. Mark grinned.

"So...what does this mean now?"he asked.

"Well, I think this is the part where the guy asks the girl to be with him and love him forever, no matter what," Maureen said. She grinned. "But I'm not gonna let the guy have all the fun. Mark...will you be with me and love me forever, no matter what?"Mark smiled.

"Do you really have to ask?"The two burst out laughing, and Maureen hugged Mark as tight as she could without hurting him any more. Roger, Collins and Mimi all came running back in from the fire escape.

"Did she do it? Oh, she did it!"Mimi squealed.

"This has got to be one of the weirdest situations ever..."Roger sighed. Collins let out one of his big hearty laughs.

"Aw man, I love you guys!"he cried. Maureen and Mark suddenly exchanged glances. '_The scrapbook?_' Maureen mouthed. Mark nodded. Maureen stood up.

"Collins, Mark and I have something for you,"she said, running over to Mark's bed, and digging through some papers and old scripts underneath.

"Uh oh...y'all didn't write me a movie or something, did ya?"Collins asked, still laughing a little.

"Not exactly..."Maureen said, pulling out the scrapbook and bringing it over to Collins. Roger and Mimi leaned over his shoulders to see what it was. Collins took it...

On the front cover was a mini-collage of Angel, dressed up, not dressed up, dancing around, playing her drums. In huge, sparkling letters on top it read "TODAY 4 U: The Life of Angel Dumont-Schunard" Collins opened it, flipping through the pages, which were all decorated. There were all sorts of pictures of Angel, doing just about everything. Each page was filled with little quotes and anecdotes about Angel, as well as pictures that spoke a thousand words on their own. Collins slowly flipped through, his eyes welling up more and more with each page, his smile widening. Maureen kneeled next to Mark, taking his hand, as they smile at each other. Mimi hugged Roger as the two of them looked over Collins' shoulder at the scrapbook.

Tears were streaming down Collins' cheeks as he reached the last page, where there was one picture of Angel, without his makeup, just smiling off into the distance. Below it read: _Angel Dumont-Schunard: July 14th 1964-October 27th 1990 "You may be up above us now, but you're still spreading love among friends down here."_

Collins smiled over at Maureen and Mark, tears running onto his shirt.

"Wow...you guys did this for me?"he asked, smiling gratefully.

"Yeah. This was kind of the project that brought us back together,"Mark explained.

"It's true then,"Mimi said suddenly.

"What is?"Maureen asked.

"Even though Angel's not here, she's still helping us spread our love,"Mimi commented, looking at Mark and Maureen. Collins slowly closed the book, holing it close to his heart.

"Thank you guys...thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me,"he said. Maureen ran over and hugged him tightly.

"You deserve it Collins. You have no idea what you mean to us,"she replied. Mark managed to sit up, his head still throbbing with pain. He walked over to where Maureen and Collins were hugging, and joined in. Mimi looked up at Roger, and the two of them also joined the hug. Pretty soon they were all in a big, hugging mixture of laughing and crying, the scrapbook in the middle of the group.

And somehow, it felt that that night, Angel Dumont-Schunard _was _there in that room with them, helping them to spread their love, and be able to set their feelings free. Which is exactly what Mark Cohen and Maureen Johnson found themselves able to do after two years.

The next morning, Maureen made Mark change the title of his documentary. It was no longer 'A Day in the Life of a Diva'. It was now 'The Lifetime of a Diva, and the Filmmaker She Spends It With' And _this_ documentary would not come to end, 'til death do them part'.

**_The End_**

**Though Mark and Maureen's relationship might not come to an end...this story must. I'm glad you all enjoyed it, I wish it could have gone on longer, but this was basically the moment I was building up to. Thanks for reading! M&M FOREVER:-)**


End file.
